Wire coiling machine having grooved block



Sept. 6, 1966 D. F. WHITACRE 3,270,979

WIRE COILING MACHINE HAVING GROOVED BLOCK Filed Dec. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. 76: Z. M/mw 2 K447734625 BY f Sept. 6, 1966 D, P. WHITACRE WIRE COILING MACHINE HAVING enoovmn BLOCK Filed Dec. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Had.

INVENTOR. 04/1/4 10 10 pry/234605 ATTOP/VEK? United States Patent "ice 3,270,979 WIRE COILING MACHINE HAVING GROOVED BLOCK Donald P. Whitacre, 1013 N. Margarita Ave., Alhambra, Calif. Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 417,874 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-82) This invention relates to apparatus for feeding or regulating the feed-rate of wire or other filamentary material, and is particularly directed to improvements in a wire coiling machine.

Conventional wire coiling apparatus commonly employs a capstan or block comprising a generally cylindrical drum with a flange at one end. The drum tapers slightly with the flange at the large end. The flange is also tapered. The wire makes several wraps around the drum surface and the incoming wire first engages the drum surface at the junction of the flange. The incoming wire crowds in between the flange and the last wound convolution of wire and forces the previously wound convolutions axially along the drum and away from the flange. This axially sliding movement of the wire relative to the drum surface causes the convolutions gradually to loosen their gripping engagement with the drum surface so that some circumferential slipping action also takes place between the wire and the drum. This combination of axial slipping and circumferential slipping of the wire relative to the drum surface results in substantial wear of the drum surface after a period of use.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a wire coiling machine which substantially eliminates any relative sliding movement between the wire and the capstan or block.

Another object is to provide such a wire coiling device which employs a block having a continuous peripheral groove for reception of the wire, together with novel means for preventing slippage between the wire and the sides of the groove.

Another object is to provide a wire coiling device of this type which employs either a rotating block or a stationary block.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a preferred embodiment of my invention and employing a rotating block.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the lines 33 as shown in FIGURE 1.

' FIGURE 4 is a perspective view partly broken away showing the invention as applied to a wire coiling machine having a stationary block and a rotating support or flyer.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary detail taken substantially along the lines 55 as shown on FIGURE 4.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, the rotating capstan or block is provided with a continuous peripheral groove 11 defined between tapered surfaces 12 and 13. The proportions of the groove 11 are such as to receive any one of a series of sizes of wire to be coiled. The wire is continuous and is indicated by the legend W.

The block 10 is rotatably supported in any convenient manner, not shown, and is driven by means of a central shaft 15. The stationary support 16 may be carried by a suitable frame, not shown. Upon this support 16 is a killer-block assembly generally designated 17 which has the combined functions of straightening the wire W and of adjusting the helix angle of the wire coil to be formed. The rollers 18 on one side of the wire W alter- 3,270,979 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 nate with rollers 19 on the other side and the rollers 19 are adjustably mounted on the support 16.

A grooved guide roller 21 is rotatably mounted upon an arm 22 pivoted to the support 16 at 23. The guide roller 21 may be adjustably positioned along the length of the arm 22, and the angular position of the arm may be clamped in adjusted position by means of the clamp 24. The guide roller 21 contacts the wire W after it has passed through the killer block assembly 17 and guides it into the peripheral groove 11 in the rotating block 10.

A similar guide roller assembly is mounted on the support 16 at a location circumferentially spaced from the guide roller 21. This assembly includes guide roller 26 adjustably mounted on pivoted arm 27. The roller 26 guides the wire W as it exits from the peripheral groove 11 to pass over the grooved pulley 30. This grooved pulley 30 is rotatably mounted at 31 on the support 16 and it has an effective diameter which is substantially smaller than the effective diameter of the grooved block 10. The wire W passes around the portion of the pulley 30 which is remote from the block 10 and the relatively small diameter of the pulley 30 causes the wire :to receive a bend or permanent set in the direction of the circular cast of the coil to be formed.

The wire W then passes from the pulley 30 under the cast adjusting roller 33 which bends the wire in the other direction and thereby reduce the amount of permanent set of the bend in the wire W. The cast controlling roller 33 is mounted on a swinging arm 34 pivoted to the support 16 at 35. An adjusting screw 36 secured by a lock nut 37 holds the arm 34 in the desired position. The position of the east controlling roller 33 along the length of the swinging arm 34 may be adjusted by means not shown.

After passing between the roller 33 and the block 10 the wire W reenters the continuous peripheral groove 11. The wire is maintained in the groove by means of a pressure roller 40 having a tapered periphery 41 shaped to enter into the peripheral groove 11 on the block 10. The extreme peripheral surface 42 of the pressure roller 40 contacts the wire W, as shown in FIGURE 3 and holds it in the contact with the surfaces 12 and 13 which define the groove 11. While the groove 11 shown in the drawing is symmetrical about a central plane this is by way of illustration only and the faces 12 and 13 may have different inclinations or one of them may comprise a radial surface, with all of the taper provided on the other face. In any event the tapered roller 40 is shaped so that a portion of its periphery may enter into the groove 11 and contact the wire W. The pressure roller 40 is mounted by means of spaced bearing assemblies 45 upon the stub shaft or post 46 which is fixed to the swinging arm 47. This arm 47 is pivotally mounted on the support 16 at 48 and a spring 49 is provided for resiliently urging the pressure roller 40 into contact with the wire W.

The guide rollers 23, 26, the pulley 30, the cast controlling roller 33 and the pressure roller 40 are all mounted in the plane of the peripheral groove 11 of the rotary block 10. After the wire W passes under the pressure roller 40 it emerges from the peripheral groove and passes downwardly by gravity in convolutions 51 to form a coil not shown on any supporting device.

The wedging action of the wire W between the faces 12 and 13 of the peripheral groove 11 prevents any slipping of the wire in the groove. Substantially less than one full turn or wrap is required around the block 10, and accordingly, the wire W may enter into one part of the groove and after passing under the pressure roller 40 exit from another part of the groove all within a circumferential extent of less than one full turn.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG- URE 4 the capstan or block 60 is held stationary while the support or flyer 66 rotates. The stationary block 60 is provided with a continuous peripheral groove 61 and the wire W is received in this groove. The block 60 is supported in any convenient way such as by means of the posts 62 carried by stationary frame not shown. The support or fiyer 66 has a central hollow hub 63 and the axis of this hub is concentric with respect to the block 60 and its peripheral groove 61. The hub 63 is fixed to the fiyer 66 and forms a means by which the fiyer may he supported and rotated. The fiyer 66 supports the guide rollers 71 and 76, the pulley 80, the cast adjusting roller 83 and the pressure roller 90 which are constructed and operated in the same fashion respectively as described above for parts of the same name mounted on the stationary support 16. The pulley 80 is substantially smaller than the grooved block 60 and the circular cast is controlled by the adjustable roller 83. The tapered pressure roller 90 operates in the same manner as the pressure roller 40 described above.

A wire W first passes over a direction changing pulley 91 mounted on a stationary support not shown. The wire then passes down through the central opening in the hollow hub 63 and around the pulley 92 which is carried on the rotary fiyer 66. The wire W then passes through the killer block assembly 67 in which the alternate rollers 69 are adjustable to control the helical cast. The wire then passes around the inclined pulley 93 and the pulley 94. The killer block assembly 67 and the pulleys 93 and 94 are all mounted on the rotary flyer 66. The wire W then passes under the guide roller 71 into the peripheral groove 61 and emerges from the peripheral groove to pass under the guide roller 76 and around the pulley 80, and then back around the cast adjusting roller 83 to reenter the peripheral groove 61. The wire W then passes under the pressure roller 90 and then emerges from the peripheral groove 61 to form convolutions 101 descending by gravity to form a coil or any suitable support. In other respects the apparatus shown in FIGURE 4 is similar in construction and operation to that illustrated in FIG- URES l, 2 and 3.

Having fully described my invention it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a continuous wire, comprising: a block having a continuous peripheral groove, means to guide the wire into the groove, a pulley positioned adjacent the periphery of the block and having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the block, a casting roller,'a pressure roller, the said guide means, pulley, casting roller and pressure roller being circumferentially spaced about said block in the order named and supported substantially in the plane of said groove, the wire passing from said groove around a portion of the pulley remote from the block, then around a portion of the casting roller adjacent said block, and then back into said groove, said pressure roller having a peripheral portion extending into the groove and contaoting the wire under pressure to hold it in the groove, the wire then emerging from said groove.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the block rotates.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the block is stationary.

4. Apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a continuous wire, comprising: a block having a continuous peripheral groove, means to guide the wire into the groove, a pulley positioned adjacent the periphery of the block and having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the block, a casting roller, a pressure roller, a support, the said guide means, pulley, casting roller and pressure roller being mounted on said support and circumferentially spaced about said block in the order named and supported substantially in the plane of said groove, the wire passing from said groove around a portion of the pulley remote from the block, then around a portion of the casting roller adjacent said block, and then back into said groove, said pressure roller having a peripheral portion extending into the groove and contacting the wire under pressure to hold it in the groove, the wire then emerging from said groove, and means on the support for adjusting the position of the casting roller.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein the block rotates and the support is stationary.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein the block is stationary and the support rotates.

7. Apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a continuous wire, comprising: a block having a continuous peripheral groove, means to guide the wire into the groove, a pulley positioned adjacent the periphery of the block and having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the block, a casting roller, a tapered pressure roller, a support, the said guide means, pulley, casting roller and pressure roller being mounted on said support and circumferentially spaced about said block in the order named and supported substantially in the plane of said groove, the wire passing from said groove around a portion of the pulley remote from the block, then around a portion of the casting roller adjacent said block, and then back into said groove, the tapered pressure roller having a peripheral portion extending into the groove and contacting the wire under pressure to hold it in the groove, the wire then emerging from said groove, and means for resiliently urging said tapered roller into contact with the wire.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein the block rotates and the support is stationary.

9. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein the block is stationary and the support rotates.

10. Apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a continuous wire, comprising: a block having a continuous peripheral groove, means to guide the wire into the groove, a grooved pulley positioned adjacent the periphery of the block and having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the block, a casting roller, a tapered pressure roller, the said guide means, grooved pulley, casting roller and pressure roller being circumferentia'lly spaced about said block in the order named and supported substantially in the plane of said groove, the wire passing from said block groove around a portion of the grooved pulley to bend the wire in one direction, then around a portion of the casting roller to bend the wire in the other direction and then back into said groove, the tapered pressure roller having a peripheral portion extending into the groove and contacting the wire under pressure to hold it in the groove, the wire then emerging from said groove, and 'means for adjusting the relative positions of the casting roller and the grooved pulley 11. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein the block rotates.

12. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein the block is stationary.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,438,674 12/1922 Trurnm 226-187 X 2,833,329 5/1958 De Poy 24282 2,929,574 3/1960 Henning 242-82 2,929,575 3/1960 Kovaleski 242-82 3,106,354 10/1963 Kitselman 242-47.08

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE FEED RATE OF A CONTINUOUS WIRE, COMPRISING: A BLOCK HAVING A CONTINUOUS PERIPHERAL GROOVE, MEANS TO GUIDE THE WIRE INTO THE GROOVE, A PULLEY POSITIONED ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF THE BLOCK AND HAVNG A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BLOCK, A CASTING ROLLER, A PRESSURE ROLLER, THE SAID GUIDE MEANS, PULLEY, CASTING ROLLER AND PRESSURE ROLLER BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ABOUT SAID BLOCK IN THE ORDER NAMED AND SUPPORTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID GROOVE, THE WIRE PASSING FROM SAID GROOVE AROUND A PORTION OF THE PULLEY REMOTE FROM THE BLOCK, THEN AROUND A PORTION OF THE CASTING ROLLER ADJACENT SAID BLOCK, AND THEN BACK INTO SAID GROOVE, SAID PRESSURE ROLLER HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO THE GROOVE AND CONTACTING THE WIRE UNDER PRESSURE TO HOLD IT IN THE GROOVE, THE WIRE THEN EMERGING FROM SAID GROOVE. 